Connecting Crystal

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I'm just a girl in the world.. that kind of likes to write. Mom of 2 teen girls & work as Talent Attraction & Marketing professional. Oh, & I'm addicted to my phone, Social Media, HR/Talent Marketing & Caffeine... you can learn more about me at www.linkedin.com/in/theonecrystal

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Week 2 Down: #TR30Days Update

For a faster “Catch-Up” Session?? Just read the updates in this color. 🙂 left the rest as a reference back. . . If you’re just catching this and want to know what it is? Watch the video

Gratitude:“Gratitude is not only the Greatest of all virtues; but the parent of all the others.” ~ Cicero(Ok, this ‘bucket’ was absolutely snagged from @Sexythinker, the talented Ms. Amanda Hite – but it’s fantastic & absolutely fits with where I want my focus to remain!)

Make a point of reaching out and expressing gratitude to 1 person that has made a positive impact in my life each day. Wk2 UPDATE: I’m loving this – and since gratitude doesn’t have to be on a large scale? Might never stop. This week I really tried to focus in on some of my neighbors that don’t normally hear from me often due to our schedules…but, matter just the same. 🙂 It was eye-opening for me when one of them actually admitted they didn’t think I remembered them. Oops, that’s kind of a fail on my part. So, can’t just do a ‘drive-by gratitudnal’ exercise – must stay in touch.

Start integrating gratitude as a prosocial behavioral motivator in my workUPDATE: I’m doing this – put the game-plan into action; not sure if it’s noticed yet or not but I’m not doing it for the ‘kudos.’

Share 1 thing a day from the Encyclopedia of Gratitude & write about how it’s positively affected my life – why I’m grateful for it, too!UPDATE: This week my gratitude writings were on & why it made me grateful:

Things that Make Me Uncomfortable – it’s a growing opportunity

My Children’s Laughter – best ’emotional reset’ ever

Missing Someone – Emotional Capacity, Memories, Opportunity

Hot Showers – Seriously, esp. after a workout? This can, at times, be better than chocolate or maybe even sex (sometimes?). Just sayin’

Farmer’s Markets – Culture. Good Food. Fun.

Modern Medicine – Prolonged Life. It’s not the middle ages. Yay.

Fireworks – Coolness. Memories.

Pay it Backward – Reach out to one person that has ‘paid it forward’ with me and see how I can help them in return… then do it!UPDATE: Reached out this week with an identified opportunity that really COULD help that we’d discussed a couple weeks ago with an action plan of what I am capable of helping with given current obligations – we’ll see what the response is. 🙂

Social:

Make a point of working on repairing a couple of key relationships that I let lapse over the last yearUPDATE: I’ve done what I can do with this – so, now it’s just keeping up with it. It’s been an emotionally charged couple of weeks; and at the risk of being redundant? Eye-opening. Just didn’t really see how sliding in and out of someone’s life could be that big of an impact outside of close friends & family… but, it can and is. So, I’m more mindful now & will be ongoing.

Do something with 1-2 friends that I normally don’t get time to go do things with – expand my social ‘outings’ outside of my norm so I can really get to better know and appreciate my friends/connections – going to try to schedule something once a week.UPDATE: So much fun this week spending time with Ashley & looking forward to doing it again in a couple of weeks. 🙂 Including the kids in this next week’s ‘expansion’ – should be fun!

Be open to dating – still not real hip on the thought of another serious relationship; but I guess they don’t start there, do they?? 🙂 So, I’m resolved to say ‘Absolutely’ to at least one invitation over the next 30 days. Still has to be with someone I’d WANT to go out with – I’m not going to just say ‘sure’ to anybody. Criteria should still apply, right??? 🙂UPDATE: I’ve been on 2 dates. I’m calling this one accomplished. I’m open to it. Funny thing happened, though – one of the guys has 3 small kids & he actually called to cancel our date after reading my dating blog entries because he knew I didn’t know he had kids & thought I wouldn’t want to go out with him. Ha.haha.hahaha – that was YEARS ago when I did that experiment/wrote that – was a few years away from 30… so, explained my perspective/capacity has changed somewhat. He’s not the right guy; but it’s not because of his kids. 🙂

Restart Champagne Thursdays with the local ladies! 😀UPDATE: Didn’t do it this week – our schedules didn’t sync. Sorry, ladies – maybe this next week?

Giving Back- Volunteering/Altruism Project:

Complete the Natural Disaster Donation Project (1) by end of June.UPDATE: More drop-offs done. Last pick-up scheduled for July 14th – that’s their next availability.

Start the “Altruism Adventure” with the girls – teaching the importance of altruism, demonstrate the principle in my own life & have the 3 of us perform 1 altruistic act a week. UPDATE: Started. We’ve started giving to “love drop” & today we’re dropping off some stuff to Presby Plano.

Continue volunteer efforts – for this 30-days, want to include work with Attitudes & Attire. UPDATE: Done! 🙂

Find a workable date for the Blood Drive for Providence & continue to work towards facilitating/organizing that event.UPDATE: Still no progress. This bullet? Might not be accomplished. 😦

Health & Fitness – Mental & Physical:

Drink my 3 liters of water a day (and stop complaining that I don’t like how it tastes! LOL) UPDATE: Not complaining. I’m closer – but this? Is NOT easy. I feel water-logged.

Integrate One 15k each week IN ADDITION to the daily 10ks… cut time by 30-seconds/mile UPDATE: Had medical work done and was a little sore – missed 3 days. Did get a 15k in, though!

Restart Physical Therapy for my jaw – increase opening from 24mm to 28mm by end of 30daysUPDATE: Doing my home exercises! Only 1 migraine this week. PROGRESS! 🙂

1 hour of dance EVERY dayUPDATE: DID THIS!! 🙂 SO.MUCH.FUN!!! I LOVE THIS SO SO MUCH! Totally fell & busted my butt, though – and bruised the daylights out of my knee. :p Have pictures. Should post. They’re funny.

Do squats for 30 minutes every day while watching “How I Met Your Mother”UPDATE: My butt & thighs are sore – outside of this? I see no difference. Doing it, though.

Start friends Bible study with A (and maybe Julie?) UPDATE: Every day, every day, every day – love it. Added Swindoll back in – don’t think I can add anything else at this point but I’m enjoying the dedication time.

5:30 am workouts 3 days a week with Heather UPDATE: Yeah, not so much. Need to call Heather.

Read 3 books a week – but make sure one is just for fun and one is for general learning & one is for business (rather than ALL on business). UPDATE: Started: The Help (fun), The Social Animal (business category), and Girl Wars (parenting: general category) this week. – Behind on reading. Almost done with The Help; halfway through Girl Wars. Two chapters into Social Animal. So… continuing on these 3.

Business:

Register for remaining conferences for 2011.UPDATE: Almost done – have 3 more to register for: Blogher 2011, HRTech, & HRSouthwest. Oh, and Radical Toronto – guess that’s 4! So, not 100% sure I can make Blogher but I’m trying!

Solidify Q3 Social Media Plan & Strategies for TxMQ & Clients. Write proposal for same. UPDATE: The plan is about halfway done… have it completely laid out on my iPad

Work with Lisa on her Q3 & Q4 professional plan. Update: We touched on it – but that’s about it. Gotta start this week. Emailing her today so I don’t forget.

Revisit 2011 business plan strategies for Q3 & Q4. UPDATE: Done.

Gain commitment to bi-weekly trainings for team & write schedule.UPDATE: Broached subject; started working on training material revamp.

2 Comments on “Week 2 Down: #TR30Days Update”

You are making some great progress Crystal! I love your dating stories:) Have fun enjoying the freedom to even date "not the right guys" it helped me take the pressure off when I realized I could have just as much fun (if not more) "on the dating journey" than "reaching the destination". Also- I am totally with you on the water thing. If I drank that much I would have to move my computer into the bathroom!Keep up the awesome work!

Thanks, Heather!! I really appreciate it!! I'm working on getting more of the dating stories out – the "GDE" posts are actually part of a book I'm writing based off a 1-year 'Dating Experiment' where I dated a different guy every week for a year. GOOD TIMES – talk about focusing on the journey! LOL But, I'm a little more picky about those being 'polished' & I'm not happy with the turnout quite yet. So, check back probably in another day or two. :)Not sure what my 'desired destination' is at this point – every time I think I know? Life throws me a curve ball! But, after recently getting out of a serious-ish relationship & being dumped (yup, dumped) for the first time? I wanted to make sure I didn't STOP dating altogether once I got past the break-up. :p